Tropical Cyclone Marcus has intensified over the Van Diemen Gulf during the last few hours and is now a Category 2 strength tropical cyclone. The cyclone is expected pass close to Darwin today, before moving into the Timor Sea later this evening. During Sunday, Tropical Cyclone Marcus is expected to approach the north Kimberley as a Category 2 strength cyclone.

Sure did and built a eyewall to. Take no notice of the intensity on the micro's.The presentation says it all.

Progression over the hours from a small wrspped core to a eyewall. waiting on the next micro's will be interesting.

Eye filled in quite quickly when the core went over land. Should refire up rapidly when llcc gets back over water.

Strange, I know it's only a cat 2 cyclone and Territorians are famous for their resilience, but I just went through all the TV stations, including the weather channel and nothing, zilch, nada on the passage of Marcus through Darwin. It may be different on local Darwin TV, but if this were to have hit any of the regional centres of Queensland - especially Brisbane - there would have been wall to wall live coverage. Hmm, I hope you don't feel neglected by the rest of the country Darwin and its surrounds, but keep safe all the same.

The upper level ridge lies just to the south of TC Marcus. Water vapour imageryshows good outflow to the NW sector, weaker outflow to the S sector butconstrained outflow to the E. CIMSS vertical wind shear at 17/00Z was easterlyat 19 knots.

The latest position is made with good confidence based on Berrimah radar and islocated jnear Darwin Harbour.

The system is expected to adopt a SW track past Darwin and towards the Timor Seaover the next 12 to 24hours as a mid latitude trough moves east across the Great Australian Bight andpushes the mid level ridge over southern Australia further north, creating astronger easterly steering.

Tropical Cyclone Marcus may weaken briefly to below category 2 as it interactswith the Darwin coastline. Once the tropical low moves into the Timor Sea duringtonight, development is likely to continue at a standard rate or faster,reaching category 2 prior to corssing the NE Kimbery coast on Sunday. Steeringwill remain easterly long term due to a strong mid level ridge to the south,taking the system into the Indian Ocean where it will continue to intensifystrongly over open waters to a Severe Tropical Cyclone.

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Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get. - Mark Twain

Strange, I know it's only a cat 2 cyclone and Territorians are famous for their resilience, but I just went through all the TV stations, including the weather channel and nothing, zilch, nada on the passage of Marcus through Darwin. It may be different on local Darwin TV, but if this were to have hit any of the regional centres of Queensland - especially Brisbane - there would have been wall to wall live coverage. Hmm, I hope you don't feel neglected by the rest of the country Darwin and its surrounds, but keep safe all the same.

That's not unusual. In previous years I've seen, after 3 cyclones in the north west, the first Queensland cyclone announced as the first for the Australian season. Also had people tell me that we don't get cyclones here, they only occur in Queensland. But these are people (including the media) who have little awareness of Australia beyond the Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne Axis. There's always going to be those around.

Darwin Harbour it's still gusting to 130 kph but pressure is edging up to 987 hPa. Wind gusts have noticeably weakened at my place and pressure is edging up to 995 hPa. Rain is becoming more steady. Trees are down all over the place, across roads and powerlines. I finally lost power but on generator power now. The phone's down as well. Haven't been out to check for damage, too comfortable and dry inside.

I think ABC News TV is hastily upgrading their coverage. They're stumbling through it now. They reported that the 'eye' passed over Darwin.

Not surprising, my dad was telling me that during Cyclone Tracy, it took forever for the news to get out that Darwin had been hit. People were trying to call relatives in Darwin to wish them merry christmas and couldn't get through and didn't have a clue why. It was Christmas day and it was 1974 though. You'd think in this day and age the news would spread a bit quicker.

I think its OK. We dont want the rest of the country to know how spectacular, wild and beautiful the NT and WA is. The less coverage the better. Even Nitso on OCC was doing A LIVE FEED report on youtube and he crossed to say 'we have um.... 22 people watching live' haha.

Not much left of the core and some dry air about in the JBG.Has some work to do again. But should be interesting watchingthe TC get it self together over water.Presentation just beforethe first landfall was similar to a typhoon or cat1 sshs 64ktbut the tc filled in quickly on radar.

I dont think it will take much to spin Marcus's wheel back up again. Looking to re enter water in the JBGulf soon. Now lets see how strong it can get before making landfall again and where? We have a bloke on an isolated camp 20 kms North of Kalumburu in our Broome Weather Group who is going to document it how ever he can. Be good to see what it does in that area. CAT 2? maybe CAT 3.